Vacuum-Insulated Frozen Sample Container With Reduced Thermal Bridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport containers for frozen biological tissue samples and cell cultures face challenges in maintaining a reliable deep-frozen state during storage and transport due to thermal bridges and inefficient heat management, leading to potential loss of information and logistical complexities.
Innovation Solution
The cooling container is fixedly integrated into the insulation container with a neck-shaped opening, an insulation ring for elastic mounting, and a plug with an insulation shaft that seals the neck opening, reducing thermal bridges and heat influx, while using a thermally conducting metal construction for improved cold-loading and maintaining a seamless sample chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a transport container uses a coolant chamber with high heat of fusion and superinsulation, then the cooling duration is extended, but thermal bridges cause premature coolant exhaustion and heat influx
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates thermal bridge pathways from the container structure. Specifically, it removes direct metallic contacts between the inner and outer walls that created heat conduction paths, thereby preventing premature coolant exhaustion while maintaining extended cooling duration through the insulated barrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite insulation structures combining multiple materials with different thermal properties. The container uses a multi-layer insulation system including vacuum insulation panels and reflective barriers, creating a composite structure that minimizes heat transfer while maintaining structural integrity and extended cooling performance.
2Volume of stationary object
If the sample chamber extends to the upper end of the cooling container, then the container volume is optimized, but metallic contact between inner and outer walls creates thermal bridges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the problematic metallic contact structure that created thermal bridges. By eliminating the direct wall-to-wall metallic contact and replacing it with insulated separation, the design prevents heat conduction loss while preserving the optimized container volume through efficient space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary insulation layer between the inner and outer walls. This intermediary thermal barrier prevents direct heat conduction through metallic contact while allowing the container to maintain its compact, volume-optimized design. The insulation acts as a mediating structure that blocks heat flow without compromising spatial efficiency.
3Reliability
If the transport container is designed for reliable deep-frozen state maintenance, then sample integrity is preserved, but handling and operational convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the container into modular segments including a removable sample chamber, separate coolant reservoir, and insulated body. This segmentation allows users to easily access and handle the sample chamber independently while the main insulated structure remains stationary, thereby improving operational convenience without compromising the reliable deep-frozen state maintenance through the intact insulation system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design achieves a long-lasting cooling effect, allowing for up to 14 days of frozen sample maintenance and enabling reliable transport and intermediate storage without heat input, ensuring sample integrity and compliance with regulations.
Implementation Method 1
comprises a coolant which emits the cold by solid/liquid phase transition
Implementation Method 2
The coolant undergoes phase transition in the temperature range between −15° and −100° C., in particular between −30° and −85° C. and has a heat of fusion of at least 50 J/ml
Implementation Method 3
superinsulation with a thermal conductivity λ≦0.002 W/(mK)
Implementation Method 4
an evacuation apparatus being provided for evacuating the cover interior, including the neck opening gap surrounding the insulation shaft
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a transport container (1) comprising a superinsulation in the form of an evacuated insulating container (2) comprising a vacuum maintaining material (55). The transport container is provided with a cooling container (16) comprising a heat-conducting metal wool filling (57) and an organic coolant which undergoes a solid/liquid phase change in the temperature range of between −30° C. and −850° C. and has a heat of fusion of at least 50 J/ml. A slim cylindrical sample chamber (24) is used to receive deep-frozen tissue samples (26), said chamber being surrounded by the cooling container (16) and merging into a long neck opening (25) forming a single component therewith, said opening being largely filled by the insulating shaft (30) of a screwable plug (28) and sealed from the sample chamber (24). The air in the ring gap (32) created can be evacuated by means of an evacuating system (48). The plug (28) is provided with a stopper (38) protruding into the sample chamber (24) and a data logger (41) for recording the temperature in the sample chamber (24). Following the freezing of the coolant, the transport container (1) enables distribution times and intermediate storage of up to 14 days without any risk of damage to the tissue samples (26) received therein.